Nottingham Forest star Ryan Yates is busy establishing himself as a Premier League player at the City Ground.
Very few players divide opinion quite like the Forest captain but in large this season, he’s been a reliable performer when called upon.
With Danilo out with a broken ankle, the Forest midfielder was handed a chance to get game time after initially starting the campaign on the bench.
Yates has been praised by Henry Winter for his Forest efforts this season and in the eyes of plenty, he doesn’t get the plaudits that he is perhaps more deserving of.
It’s not necessarily been an easy path for Yates at Forest with several loan spells shaping the midfielder into the player that he’s become today.
The 27-year-old has played in the top five divisions and playing Premier League football might not have been on his agenda had Aitor Karanka got his way back in 2018.
Ryan Yates shares which EFL club almost signed him in 2018
The central midfielder was given a Forest chance by Martin O’Neill and he was a big fan of Yates when it came to his commitment to the cause.
However, things were very different under Karanka and he favoured more experience in his midfield than an untried youngster.
In an interview with The Guardian, Yates had admitted that he almost joined Hull City in 2018 – and was even at the club’s stadium ready to sign.
He explained: “There were two days left of the transfer window. Aitor Karanka said: ‘You can go on loan.’
“On deadline day I was going to Hull City… I was outside their stadium but they didn’t call me. I think they took someone else, so I was fired up when we played Hull.”
Yates has nothing to prove at Forest
When it comes to being committed, O’Neill was right about Yates and he always excels in that sense.
The real challenge for Yates right now is to start contributing a little bit more on a consistent basis rather than experiencing purple patches six weeks at a time.
Having an ability to work hard doesn’t always cut it in the Premier League and a little bit more quality on the ball at key times is perhaps required.
That said, Yates is a better player when he understands his limitations. The more he keeps it simple, the more confidence he gains and that makes him play better.
Yates is very much Mr Nottingham Forest and he doesn’t have anything left to prove at the City Ground.
There is more to come from the midfielder and it’s ideal that the club had tied him to a new contract to keep him at the club for the foreseeable.
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